One project that the Culver Town Council and the Stellar Communities Committee is focused on is a bike and pedestrian trail around Lake Maxinkuckee.
Town Manager Jonathan Leist said the project began with creating a master plan last year with consulting firm Troyer Group for the trail to be funded if the town was named a Stellar Community. The idea is to create a scenic trail around the lake with the ability to accommodate walkers, runners and bicyclists as a way for residents to get some exercise and see the town from a different perspective.
The proposal within the Stellar Communities Program grant is a one mile section of the trail to the downtown area. The estimated cost is $1 million. The town put together a master plan for the project last year, but Culver was not awarded the designation of a Stellar Community. The project remains unfunded however it remains as a major project within this year’s application. The letter of intent for this and other projects will be submitted by the town in this year’s application process by April 28.
Since Culver’s defeat in the Steller Community designation, Leist said the Culver Town Council members decided to pursue a smaller grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources through the Recreational Trail Program. The town is applying for funding for a half-mile section of the project with a total estimated cost of $240,000. This would take the trail from Culver Academy to the end of the Culver Town Park. The old railroad bed would be included in the trail. The application for the Recreational Trail Program grant is May 1.
Leist added that the proposed route is expected to come before a public hearing to be scheduled sometime in April, depending on the consultant’s progress on the project.
In other efforts to help gather funding for the bike and pedestrian trail, the Culver Redevelopment Commission recently approved a matching grant toward the plan. A $40,000 matching grant will help pay for a portion of the project from Culver Academy to Washington Street.
